{"id":18108,"date":"2026-04-30T20:18:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T14:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/?p=18108"},"modified":"2026-05-22T14:59:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T09:29:51","slug":"dirty-truth-early-beverage-cans-why-aluminium-won","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/aluminium\/cans\/dirty-truth-early-beverage-cans-why-aluminium-won.html","title":{"rendered":"The Dirty Truth Behind Early Beverage Cans (And Why Aluminium Won)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Truth Brands Never Advertised<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walk down any grocery aisle today, and you\u2019ll see shiny, flawless aluminum cans stacked in perfect rows. They look clean, safe, and modern. But the <strong>dirty truth behind early beverage cans<\/strong> is something no beer or soda brand ever put in a commercial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-82\">Before aluminum won, beverage cans were rust-prone, foul-tasting, hard to open, and sometimes even hazardous to your health<sup><\/sup>. Steel cans\u2014the original canned drink containers\u2014had so many hidden problems that the industry nearly gave up on the idea of canned beverages entirely<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So why did steel fail so badly? And how did <strong>aluminium<\/strong> come in and fix everything almost overnight? Let\u2019s open the history books\u2014and a few rusty old cans\u2014to find out.<\/p><div class=\"pai-ad\" style=\"min-height:250px;visibility:hidden;\"><span style=\"display: block; text-align: center; font-size: 10px; margin: 0 0 10px 0; color: #999999;\">Ads<\/span>\r\n<!-- Display-300x250-1 -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3838168351244230\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"9933646018\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Early Beverage Cans Were Not as Safe as You Think<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-83\">The first beer and soda cans (steel, 1930s\u20131950s) were lined with a primitive enamel to prevent the drink from touching bare metal<sup><\/sup>. But that enamel was far from perfect. It often cracked during shipping or storage<sup><\/sup>. When that happened, acidic carbonated drinks came into direct contact with steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-84\">The result? <strong>Rust flakes<\/strong> in your drink, <strong>metallic off-flavors<\/strong>, and, in some cases, small leaks that allowed bacteria to enter<sup><\/sup>. Brands didn\u2019t advertise that; instead, they quietly accepted returns and hoped consumers wouldn\u2019t notice<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rust, Metallic Taste, and Consumer Complaints<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-85\">Imagine cracking open a cold beer after a long day\u2014only to taste iron and bitterness. That was a common experience with early steel cans. The combination of carbonic acid (from <em>CO<sub>2<\/sub><\/em>) and steel created a chemical reaction that leached metallic ions into the liquid.<\/p><div class=\"pai-ad\" style=\"min-height:250px;visibility:hidden;\"><span style=\"display: block; text-align: center; font-size: 10px; margin: 0 0 10px 0; color: #999999;\">Ads<\/span>\r\n<!-- Display-300x250-1 -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3838168351244230\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"9933646018\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-86\">Consumer complaints were so frequent that some breweries considered abandoning cans entirely<sup><\/sup>. The <strong>metallic taste problem<\/strong> became the single biggest driver for finding a better material. That material turned out to be <strong>aluminium<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Steel Cans Struggled with Carbonated Drinks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-87\">Carbonated beverages are naturally acidic. Soda contains phosphoric or citric acid, and beer is mildly acidic<sup><\/sup>. Steel is highly reactive with acids, meaning even with protective linings, the risk of corrosion was never completely eliminated<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-88\">Here\u2019s what the industry learned the hard way<sup><\/sup>:<\/p><div class=\"pai-ad\" style=\"min-height:250px;visibility:hidden;\"><span style=\"display: block; text-align: center; font-size: 10px; margin: 0 0 10px 0; color: #999999;\">Ads<\/span>\r\n<!-- Display-300x250-1 -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3838168351244230\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"9933646018\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Acids eat through linings<\/strong> over time, making storage life unpredictable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rust weakens the can<\/strong>, leading to sudden leaks in transit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pressure + corrosion<\/strong> could lead to exploding cans in rare cases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Hygiene Problem Nobody Talks About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-92\">Early steel cans were difficult to sterilize properly<sup><\/sup>. The same crevices and seams that held carbonation also trapped moisture and bacteria<sup><\/sup>. Because of steel\u2019s rough interior surface and the risk of rust, <strong>sterilization was never 100% reliable<\/strong><sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-93\"><strong>Aluminium<\/strong>, by contrast, could be manufactured with incredibly smooth interior surfaces and seamless construction (the modern two-piece drawn can)<sup><\/sup>. That changed everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> Just because it doesn&#8217;t rust doesn&#8217;t mean the liquid is touching the can body. Curious about what\u2019s inside? Read our deep dive on <strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/did-you-know\/aluminium-cans-plastic-liners-bpa-free-safety.html\">Coatings Inside Aluminium Cans: Are They Safe? The Invisible \u201cBag\u201d You Drink From<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p><div class=\"pai-ad\" style=\"min-height:250px;visibility:hidden;\"><span style=\"display: block; text-align: center; font-size: 10px; margin: 0 0 10px 0; color: #999999;\">Ads<\/span>\r\n<!-- Display-300x250-1 -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3838168351244230\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"9933646018\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Opening Early Cans Was a Hassle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-94\">Before the pull tab (1962) and before aluminum, opening a steel can required a <strong>churchkey<\/strong>\u2014a pointed metal tool that punched two triangular holes into the lid<sup><\/sup>. If you didn&#8217;t have one, you couldn&#8217;t drink<sup><\/sup>. Worse, once opened, the jagged holes were sharp, and people regularly cut their fingers or tongues on steel can lids<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Turning Point:<\/strong> Why the Industry Needed Change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-95\">By the mid-1950s, the beverage industry faced a crisis because steel cans were<sup><\/sup>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rusting and leaking<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Giving drinks a metallic taste<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hard to open safely<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Heavy and expensive to ship<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-100\">The turning point came from <strong>Coors Brewing Company<\/strong> and <strong>Reynolds Metals<\/strong> betting on <strong>aluminium<\/strong>\u2014a material previously considered too expensive for mass-market packaging<sup><\/sup>.<\/p><div class=\"pai-ad\" style=\"min-height:250px;visibility:hidden;\"><span style=\"display: block; text-align: center; font-size: 10px; margin: 0 0 10px 0; color: #999999;\">Ads<\/span>\r\n<!-- Display-300x250-1 -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3838168351244230\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"9933646018\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Aluminium Enters the Scene<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-101\">By 1958, Coors released the first all-aluminum beer can<sup><\/sup>. The advantages were immediate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>No rust<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Aluminium<\/strong> forms a natural oxide layer that resists corrosion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No metallic taste<\/strong> \u2013 It does not react with carbonated acids like steel does.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lighter weight<\/strong> \u2013 Cans weighed about 1\/3 of steel cans, slashing shipping costs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Better printing<\/strong> \u2013 The smooth surface allowed vibrant, full-color branding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:75px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Aluminium Solved These Problems Instantly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Problem<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Steel Can<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Aluminium Can<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Rust<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>No<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Metallic taste<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Common<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>None<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Weight (12 oz)<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">~45g<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>~15g<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Opening method<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Churchkey<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Pull tab \/ Stay-on tab<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Recycling<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Inefficient<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Infinitely recyclable<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Shift in Consumer Trust and Experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-106\">Once aluminum cans hit the market, consumer complaints about taste and rust vanished<sup><\/sup>. People loved the lighter weight and the fact that drinks tasted clean every time<sup><\/sup>. Trust returned, and canned beverage sales exploded in the 1970s and 1980s<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Wrap: <em>The Real Reason Aluminium Won<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-107\">The <strong>real reason aluminum won<\/strong> isn\u2019t just about weight or cost. It\u2019s about solving problems that steel never could: rust, taste, hygiene, and user experience<sup><\/sup>. The dirty truth behind early beverage cans is that steel was always a compromise. <strong>Aluminium<\/strong>, by contrast, was an upgrade in every possible way<sup><\/sup>.<\/p><div class=\"pai-ad\" style=\"min-height:250px;visibility:hidden;\"><span style=\"display: block; text-align: center; font-size: 10px; margin: 0 0 10px 0; color: #999999;\">Ads<\/span>\r\n<!-- Display-300x250-1 -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3838168351244230\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"9933646018\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_bfbd1b35ada0f6c0-108\">Today, the <strong>aluminium<\/strong> can stands as a triumph of material science. It\u2019s light, strong, infinitely recyclable, and\u2014most importantly\u2014it delivers a clean, great-tasting drink every single time<sup><\/sup>.<\/p><script>document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){\n        if(window.innerWidth <= 768){\n            if (\"immediate\" === \"delay\") {\n                setTimeout(function(){document.querySelectorAll(\".pai-ad\").forEach(el=>el.style.visibility=\"visible\")},0);\n            } else if (\"immediate\" === \"scroll\") {\n                window.addEventListener(\"scroll\",function(){\n                    let s=window.scrollY\/(document.body.scrollHeight-window.innerHeight);\n                    if(s>0.1){\n                        document.querySelectorAll(\".pai-ad\").forEach(el=>el.style.visibility=\"visible\");\n                    }\n                });\n            } else {\n                document.querySelectorAll(\".pai-ad\").forEach(el=>el.style.visibility=\"visible\");\n            }\n        } else {\n            document.querySelectorAll(\".pai-ad\").forEach(el=>el.remove());\n        }\n    });<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Truth Brands Never Advertised Walk down any grocery aisle today, and you\u2019ll see shiny, flawless aluminum cans stacked in perfect rows. They look clean, safe, and modern. But the dirty truth behind early beverage cans is something no beer or soda brand ever put in a commercial. Before aluminum won, beverage cans were rust-prone, &#8230; <a title=\"The Dirty Truth Behind Early Beverage Cans (And Why Aluminium Won)\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/aluminium\/cans\/dirty-truth-early-beverage-cans-why-aluminium-won.html\" aria-label=\"Read more about The Dirty Truth Behind Early Beverage Cans (And Why Aluminium Won)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":18112,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2527],"tags":[4115,4116,4164],"class_list":["post-18108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cans","tag-aluminium-cans","tag-aluminum-cans","tag-history-of-aluminum-cans"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18108"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18109,"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18108\/revisions\/18109"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluminiummagazine.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}